Fun, frustrations, and finally official

Another (mostly) busy week in the books is nearing an end. This week brought more folks to the park I met last winter (Jan/Feb) so it was a time of reconnecting and making new memories.

As you likely know, the Jays did not win the World Series. :( We still had a good turnout for the must go meal and game, though the majority of us left disappointed at the loss. There were nine of us; D had joined the group having purchased a unit last spring. He had about two weeks then to clear it out and is back to make it his own this winter. Like many others here he is from British Columbia.

The weekend also brought P, her daughter J and J's husband D.  Sorry, without their permission, I prefer to use initials for privacy reasons. P will be 97 this month and is the matriarch of the park. She started coming here in 1979! She also moved this year with her daughter to a new-to-them unit, and are almost directly across from me. J's husband D has been building steps and a bench, and J told me at Happy Hour on Monday, there is a list of things to be repaired or replaced. Meanwhile P was initially staying Yuma with another daughter until the space is safe for her. She's since moved into another unit here owned by the daughter of another resident. It's kitty corner from her own unit and I know J is happy to have mom closer.

Sunday was especially busy, as I needed a few groceries, had planned to assist with the clean-up at the clubhouse later in the morning, and it was laundry day. When I told S (of L&S), she insisted I use the machine at their previous unit rather than going to a laundromat. 

I was happy to take her up on the offer, and will tuck a few dollars in her hand/mailbox/front door each month to pay for the electricity. The local Food City opens at 6 a.m., not that I was ready to shop then, but I was in and out and back at the park by 7:50 a.m. Three of us cleaned up the clubhouse, wiping down tables and counters, putting away clean dishes, folding tables and stacking chairs so the floor could be swept and mopped.

L&S headed to Palm Springs to pick up another couple and their daughter (E&L, and A) mid-afternoon. They kindly let me use their a/c in the unit while I waited for the laundry to be complete.  It reached 91F/33C that afternoon so it did not take long for my clothing to dry!

I puttered around for the rest of the afternoon before H showed up at my door to remind me of Happy Hour. All that work of putting away chairs and tables was upended when ten of us arrived (N added to the list) for our visit. I left early as I was getting hungry and finally made a meal in my own place. Nothing special but delicious, especially when H dropped by with a loaf of banana bread for my dessert. Now that was special!

Unlike Sunday, Monday was a quiet day. I puttered around in the unit, spent time out in the gazebo reading or knitting in the morning, and the rest of the day was indoors as the heat is a bit much for me. The forecast says we'll see cooling by the middle of November. Indoors, I did more knitting, watched some Y-tube videos and started a jigsaw puzzle. I don't anticipate finishing it for a week or two. 

Tuesday, I was expecting the propane truck to fill the large tank. The stove/oven, hot water tank, and furnace run off propane. Everything else is on electricity. Since I was outdoors for most of the morning, I decided to wash the tile floor. After sweeping, I did the first wash and was about to empty the bucket to get fresh water for the second wash when I managed to tip the bucket and all that dirty water flowed all over the tile. ARRRGGGHHH! Back to square one. A job that ought to have taken about 20 minutes or so, stretched into a good 45 minutes. I'm not entirely sure why I bothered, as the dust will cover it again by morning. We haven't had a lot of wind, but things are just dusty.

The propane truck was scheduled to arrive by noon but I wasn't surprised that he didn't show up until 2:30 p.m. Close enough, right? I got a lesson in all things propane including: when the tank is overfilled the gas comes up as liquid rather than vapour. The owner told me that in Canada we measure propane by the pound or liters. In the States, most places just fill it up until it is entirely full. It is important not to do so, as heat will cause the liquid to expand and can result in an explosion (particularly when near a heat source like a BBq). I assume the high temperatures here in Arizona might have an impact too. In any event, I also now know where the o-rings and gaskets are in the connections, though ask me in six months and I probably won't remember.

Wednesday I went shopping, not for groceries but for a few items I need in the unit. An extra garbage can, some removable hooks, a calendar, screwdrivers, dish soap, etc. I stopped at our local Dollar Tree and got several items and then it was off to Best Buy to get a new charging cable for my cellphone. I had two but managed to break one since I've arrived. That's the first time I've done this and I'm not certain how it happened. One cable is kept inside while the other is in the SUV. While I was in the Yuma Palms mall at BB, I discovered they had a Hobby Lobby. You may not be, but I'm proud to say I walked out of there having spent less than $15. Doesn't mean I wasn't tempted by several other items though. :)

J dropped by in the afternoon with a few items that she thought I could use. One is a small electric heater that she used to warm the unit in cooler weather. As I learned last January, it can get very cool overnight, with temperatures dropping to around 5C/41F. The rental unit I was in last year did not have a working furnace, so the landlady had provided two electric space heaters. I would use one to warm up the bedroom (while I stayed under the covers), and the second to warm the living area. I expect I'll be doing something similar here as it will save on using the furnace.

That night there was a Beaver moon, a supermoon so called as it is close to the earth. I got a photo, not a great one as you'll see but it was pretty neat to see

We had our weekly coffee hour on Thursday morning. For $2 we get a cup of coffee (and refills), donuts/pastries, self served toast. The Board takes the opportunity to fill us in on the happenings in the park and there is lots of chatter too. That was the best part of the day, after that things got a wee bit frustrating.

I met with the board, the previous owner, and the wife of one of the board members (a former paralegal) to complete the paperwork. I won't go into the details but a process that ought to have taken 15 minutes or so stretched out for nearly 90 minutes. With the ADOT title in hand I headed to the insurance broker to arrange coverage. I left briefly to run over to Lowes to look for solar light motion detectors and came back to find that the ADOT had registered the previous owner's property in my name...not my unit! (I did tell her she might have to move, just kidding). So that put a kibosh on the insurance policy and we had to go back to the the licenser on Friday morning to straighten things out. I had successfully, in the morning, arranged to transfer the cable to my own account. Part of that meant I needed to return the current equipment and pick up a new box. Now, the cable is part of a bulk purchase of the park (we don't pay directly for it, it's part of our lease payment). When I arrived home, I went to turn on the television and discovered I'd been cut off...no cable for me until I pick up the equipment and install myself. :p

So Friday I was up at my now regular 5:30 a.m. First things first, I tried to uninstall the cable receiver. NOT happening, the cable was so tightly screwed in it was not budging. Faced with another round of AI screening to get through to a live agent on the telephone, I decided to try the chat with us feature on their app. Now the AI tried mightily but I insisted on speaking to a live agent, and within moments I was on the line with Raul in California. (I know this because the chat thingy told me so.) Second message in, he informed me he'd be sending out a technician. The first appointment he offered was when I was planning to be at ADOT so I asked for a later appointment, 4-5 p.m. was the answer. It will cut into Happy Hour but I'll be happy to get the cable reconnected, so I'll deal. Later, I got a text that the appointment was moved up to between 3-4 p.m. We'll see...

At 8 a.m. I met J and we headed over to the ADOT office. Once through the short line-up I explained that the wrong unit was now registered to me, and should be in J's name. And that I needed to register the other unit currently in her name in mine. Initially the clerk insisted it was our error but by the end of the 15-20 minutes or so she worked on the files, she agreed it was a clerical error on their part. However, she still charged us the $7 USD to revert the name to J's. I wasn't about to argue about it though if I hadn't stepped in and said I'd pay it, J might have. I was able to register my RV for 5 years so won't need to go back there at least that long.

The insurance broker who caught the mistake was our next stop. Another half hour and we were heading pack to the park. All told, with driving time, we were gone less than two hours. I dropped J off and headed to Home Depot where I picked up the extension rod for hanging my clothes in the bedroom area, a solar motion light, and two cans of spray paint. 

I'm not sure if I've mentioned that I "stole" three chairs from next door. The original owner passed away a couple of years ago and his until is uninhabitable. Outside there are a number of pieces of furniture including a stack of plastic chairs. I asked J (who is the Board President) if I could take a few. She told me CB's daughter had said they could do what they wanted with it. So I grabbed three, cleaned them up, and now I plan to spray paint them as there are stains that would not come out. I just need to find someone with cardboard...with the orders that come in from Amazon around here, I'm sure that won't be a problem. Here's the outdoor area set-up - I spend a few hours out there every mornings, and sometimes eat my dinner out there too.

Well, this turned into a lengthy post, so I'll end it on Friday, and post in the morning. I'm off early tomorrow anyway, as a group of us are heading to a garage sale at the Country Roads RV Village. Imagine if you will nearly 1300 RV/Park model spaces with garage sales dotted throughout. They hold this event the first Saturday of the each month. I'm not looking for anything in particular, but it will be a fun outing with friends.

Have a great week ahead everyone! 

P.S. Apparently this is my 1000th post. Never thought I'd see that number. 

Laughlin, Nevada to Yuma, Arizona

This was my short travel day. I was up and out the door by 6:45 a.m. local time, arriving in Yuma at 12:30 p.m. This included a stop for a leisurely breakfast at the Crossroads Cafe in Parker, Arizona. The food was great, and the prices terrific too. 

Laughlin is a short distance from the California and Arizona borders, and at least twice I was "welcomed" by the GPS to one or the other states. Gas prices in Laughlin were stupidly high, at $4.20 a gallon. I'd checked online and found that I could get fuel at a Maverick station in Bullhead City (12 miles away) for $3.09. You can bet I took the short trip for less expensive fuel. 

A note about the Pioneer Hotel and Casino in Laughlin. At a cheap price, it gave me what I needed, a comfortable bed for the night. But, the tile floors were filthy, the telephone flashed as though it had messages constantly, and there was a constant stream of people outside my door until past midnight. It is more of a motel than hotel and I think next time I'll stay at a more conventional hotel. I ended up wearing socks in the room, unplugged the phone, and got up early and left. 

Now, I'm a little confused on exactly how I got to Yuma. My GPS kept telling me it had a shorter route and I kept taking its suggestions. I do know I went through Kingman on Highway 93, then onto I-40, and then eventually Highway 95 into Yuma. The scenery in places was amazing and I was excited to see various cacti as I got closer to Yuma. No photos as I couldn't find a decent pull-out. But I did get a shot from the car of the green desert. 

I was meeting with J about 1:30 p.m. to go through the RV (technically a fifth wheel but the generic term works for me). Since I was early, I stopped at the Walmart Supercenter to pick up a few groceries and drinking water. Another stop at a liquor store for a few beer for Happy Hour too. I had just parked my car near the clubhouse when another winter residents, H, came walking up. After a hug and a brief chat she was one her way.

Since I was early, I stopped in at S & L's new place for a visit. They purchased a park model in the park last winter and have started the move from their small trailer. It was so good to see them, and we had a great chat. I was informed that we'd be watching the Jays game that evening at the clubhouse, and would be ordering in pizza. Nice to know, as I hadn't bought a lot of groceries. 

When J arrived we walked over to the unit, and she ran through the various things I'll need to know. The power had been turned on, but I'm out of propane for the stove and hot water heater. We turned on the fridge and by this morning it was cool. The unit has an RV toilet, so I need to go out every so often to release the handle to empty it into the sewer line. She said once a week would be enough...I'm icked out enough that think I'll do it at least every other day. We also turned on the air conditioning - it was 88F in there, I set the thermostat to 74F and by bedtime it was 63F. Oops, I guess the thermostat isn't hooked up to the a/c. Great sleeping temperature.

There were eight of us at the clubhouse to watch the game. The pizza and company were great, and the game was exciting, though I didn't stay through to the end of it. After the Jays had their bat in the 11th inning, I headed home for sleep. I wasn't surprised to wake to the news that the Dodgers won this morning. It was a true pitcher's battle throughout the entire game.

Today, I'll be busy, as I need to buy groceries, have a interview with the board (a formality), I'm sorting through the cabinets and cupboards*, and we're have another watch party this evening. L is making his chili, M is making rice, I offered to buy shredded cheese and sour cream, and I expect H will show up with one of her homemade desserts. She actually has a outdoor kitchen set up in a shed, though she says her stove isn't working properly.

*When one purchases a unit here, it comes with whatever the former owner leaves behind. In my case, that includes various pots and pans, small appliances, dishes, utensils, containers, bedding, towels, a stick vacuum, an iron and board, and other decorative items. There is also a mini fridge for outdoor use, a barbeque, and the gazebo.  There's far more than I need, or want, and I need to do some reorganization so things are where I think they should be. It's going to be a busy few days. I'll share a few photos when things are tidier.

Have a great day everyone, and thanks for checking in.

On the road

Just a quick recap of the week - it was pretty quiet. Our weather was less than stellar and while I did start weeding the back yard on Sunday, I had to give it up as a "wintry" mix arrived on Monday. It was mostly rain and was quite cold for this time of year. Our high was only 5C/41F. I spent the day indoors doing very little.

My son's roommate B has been dealing with a cold for a few days and C woke up with it on Tuesday morning. B was working from home too so I decided to do a little browsing at the thrift stores. I told myself that I wouldn't buy anything unless I had an immediate use for it. Ha! It probably won't surprise you that some yarn jumped into my cart, along with a brand new photo album, a cute mug and a t-shirt. But.my best.purchase was a pair of slip-on walking shoes for $10.  They appear to be knockoff Skechers but are very comfortable.

As you learned in Wednesday's post, I've decided to try and avoid the potential cooler weather and head south at the end of the week. I needed to do a bit of banking that morning to transfer funds to the previous owner of the unit. I'm the afternoon I went to Stitch and Chat.

Thursday I got my laundry done including my bedding in the morning. In the afternoon I drove out to Moose Jaw to visit with friends from the RV park. They will be flying down in mid November so it was nice to see them ahead of their arrival. They provided lots of information about the trip down as they've been going there for over 10 years. I feel confident about the route I've chosen and have a few ideas for places to stay and even for meal stops.  Back at the house, I loaded the rest of my items in the SUV in preparation for my departure this morning. 

By the time you are reading this I'll be on the highway. It is about a two hour drive to the border. My destination for the day is Billings, Montana. If I find I'm not too tired I'll push on to Bozeman. That would be about a nine hour drive; Billings is a couple of hours less. I know I'll be excited to be in my way but I also know I have two and a half more days of driving ahead.

I'll try to update daily but it may be every second day.  I'm pretty certain there will be photos!

And I know I won't be missing waking to frost on the windshield.

Settling in

What a difference a few days makes (and 2810 kms/1750 miles)! The weather here is quite lovely, cooling down to 8-10C/46-50F at night, and our daytime highs have been around 23-26C/74-79F. The skies are blue and bright, just like winter days at home.

I flew out of Regina early Tuesday morning, but it wasn't a direct flight, as I went through Vancouver, B.C. I ought to have waited a month or two to book a direct flight, but I'm not sure that would have provided any difference in costs. We were delayed out of Regina with a full flight of passengers causing a delay in boarding and then the requiring de-icing of the plane. I had about 75 minutes in Vancouver to get through security, customs, and to make my way to the gate. I made with about 5 minutes before pre-boarding was called after stopping for a sandwich at Tim Horton's. 

The flights were uneventful and we arrived about 20 minutes ahead of schedule in Phoenix. De-planing took some time as, again, it was a nearly full flight. I got lucky and my seat-mate and I had a empty middle seat between us. On the plane, it was announced that there might be a delay with our luggage due to some issue at the carousels. Initially, it appeared we were last in a long line of flights at carousel 3, however someone somewhere made a switch and our luggage came out the carousel right next to it. Even better, my luggage was within the first ten bags to come off the belt.

I texted my friends who were waiting for me in one of the parking lots and they came to pick me up at one of the exit doors. Great service! From there we drove to their rental in Apache Junction. Later, that evening, J drove K and I, and another lady, to a nearby community where they were have a line dancing party. I sat to watch, tapping my toes to the music, and chatting with others at the table as they came and went from the floor. J picked us up about 10 p.m. for the drive back to their rental. It had been a long day; I'd been up at 3:30 a.m. so fell into bed quickly after our return.

On New Year's Day, we left their place to head for Yuma and arrived at the rental around 3 p.m. We'd made a couple of stops, one at a rest area for a picnic and another at Dateland travel center. At the latter, we did a little shopping, then J and K shared a Date milkshake while I ate a date ice cream cone. To be honest, I didn't really notice the flavour in the ice cream. I had picked up a container of almond crusted date bars for later and those are delicious. They are nice sweet treat.

My landlords were waiting for us at the unit and proceeded to show us around the property. The place is lovely and the unit is well-equipped. After the tour, we sat around in the outdoor living area before heading to pick up a few basic groceries at Walmart. We looked for a Mexican restaurant for dinner that evening, my treat, but they weren't open. We ended up at Cracker Barrel, which was fine but not really what I had wanted. 

I was awake by 6 a.m. the following morning, but lay and read blogs (no comments) and FB until shortly after 7 when they began to stir. By 9 we were in the truck and on our way to Arizona Market, a flea market near the Yuma airport. The place was quiet, but got busier while we were there, and while there were empty spots there were plenty of vendors to visit. K got grapefruit at one place, while I picked up a huge head of lettuce and green onions at another. The prices were amazing, as I paid only $2.50 for my purchases. 

After lunch, we went to Food City, also within a few blocks of the park (easy walking distance) for a few more groceries, primarily fruit and veg. My landlady had mentioned they have better produce than Walmart and she wasn't wrong. I picked up some other basic items to put in the pantry for later.

For dinner, we drove to Los Charros for the Mexican food I'd been craving. The place was packed when we arrived, and the food was tasty with a reasonable price. It's too far for me to walk there but I noticed a few places close by, that I may check out at another time.

We all slept in on Friday morning, I didn't wake until almost 8 a.m. That's very late for me! We didn't rush, but left for the historic downtown Yuma shortly before 10 a.m. Like the market, it was quiet with few tourist around. We wandered through various places and checked out the windows of others. There is a lovely cafe I'd like to visit again someday, and a few shops with interesting art and gift ideas. I really don't plan to buy anything much as I've picked up hot sauce for my son, and vanilla for my daughter, but I'll want to find something for Eli.

Back at the unit, we made lunch, sat and visited for a bit before J and K left for Apache Junction. I attempted to sit out in the sun, but it was too strong for me for longer than 10 minutes. I'm fortunate I have the outside seating area as it is shaded, so I sat and read a book. 

About 4 p.m. I headed over to the pergola where many of the inhabitants meet for Happy Hour. Everyone I met was from Canada, except for Pat, who is has been coming to the park since 1989. I'm told she is the historian and she certainly had some interesting information to share. While there, I was convinced to join the canasta group that meet on Wednesday (I haven't played since I was a child), and was invited to go thrifting with my next door neighbour and her friend on Tuesday. There is cribbage on Thursday too, and coffee hour is held that morning in the clubhouse. I am certain I won't be bored. :) Of course, I have some crafts I want to work on while I'm here, so won't over schedule myself.

Today, I'm planning to do a load of laundry in the morning, but beyond that it is a time for rest and relaxation. There is a book I've started to finish, and the outdoor living area is calling my name.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Edit: It appears I gave the wrong impression, as I'm on my own here now. K & J were kind enough to drive me (the 3 plus hours) from Phoenix to Yuma. They stayed for a couple of days before heading back to Apache Junction. 

More snow, cold, and my oopsie mistake

Oh no, more snow. We had another 22 cms.(8.6 inches) on Sunday from the overnight hours to around 9 p.m. that evening. D and I went out and shovelled twice, the first several centimeters were wet and heavy, and the second less heavy but more of it. We certainly got our workouts and steps in that day. Wednesday's photo of the abominable snowman (me) and the photos of the back yard were taken when we finished our second round.

Monday, I drove Eli to school in the morning, as there was no hope of D's small car making it out of the backyard. She had gotten up at 6 a.m. and cleared snow that had blown in overnight. After she came in for a short break, we both went back out and cleared off our vehicles, as well as around and between the two. She's made a decision not to leave her car out of garage the next time a storm is in the forecast.

We saw one city plow in the morning, and it was doing the main streets (not ours). D had an appointment at the bank that morning, and since there was no possibility of parking, I dropped her off and went home to do some housework. We had been planning to go into Walmart (the next town over) in the afternoon but the highways were in bad condition so that was a no-go. We did stop at the grocery store for some basic items, bread, milk, and fruit after I picked her up. 

The afternoon had us in the kitchen doing a bit more Christmas baking. D finished off the pinwheel cookies and made a batch of peanut butter cookies, while I made thumbprint cookies. She made caramel for my gingerbread cake (baked a couple of days ago) and added the chocolate layer to the toffee bars. We still want to make a bit of candy, perhaps peanut brittle or peppermint bark. 

We were both grateful to wake on Tuesday morning to find that both the street and back alley were cleared during the night. (I heard nothing). The machine had left a ridge across the back, so D and I were out about 6:30 a.m. to remove it before it hardened. The temperature was about -9C (16F), but we knew that it would get colder throughout the day. 

When we went to drop off some donations at the thrift store (and do a bit of shopping) it was -19C (-2F) and the wind was blowing. We both picked up a few pieces clothing, books, I also got a yarn caddy, and Eli got a toy keyboard. Total spend was $13. No item was more than $2. It amazes me every time we visit.

D and I got more baking dealt with on Wednesday, she baked two kinds of butter tarts, one with maple bacon, the other with raisins. In the meantime I cut up the gingerbread cake and the toffee bars. Those went into tins and out to the porch which is currently another freezer. D will make up containers of goodies for Eli's teachers, and I'll take a container when I head back to the city at the end of the month for my brother and his family.

Though quite cold, the afternoon was spent in the next town over. We needed some groceries, D needed to stop at the Service Canada office, and I wanted a card table to put downstairs so I can work on a jigsaw puzzle. We were in a bit of rush and we both forgot a few things...one of which was the card table. 

Thursday was the coldest day - we woke to -33C(-27F) but with no wind, I surprisingly didn't find it that cold when I went out with the garbage and recycling. D had an appointment at the school when she dropped Eli off at school. I stayed home and managed to wrap most of my Christmas gifts. This year the presents won't go under the tree until Christmas Eve so there will be no temptation for our guy to peek and poke.

Later I started another batch of shortbread and did something very foolish. I don't know what I was thinking, but I popped the butter in the microwave to soften BUT it was in a metal bowl. As can be expected, the microwave is now dead. I can't blame any particular distraction for my "oopsie mistake". 

In the afternoon I started a present for my daughter's friend M.  Apparently she's always wanted a homemade gnome. I have lots of Christmas yarn and spent some time perusing Pinterest and found a great pattern for a larger gnome. I continued to work on it Friday and by end of day, I had the body (including nose) and hat completed. I started the shoes but by that point, my eyes were starting to cross, and it was time to put the hook down. On a positive note, I learned a new stitch, the crab stitch. It's a reverse single crochet and took some getting used to to wrap around the 66 stitches on the edge of the hat. 

Otherwise Friday was pretty quiet - we did go to Canadian Tire to buy a new microwave. Funny story, my daughter was re-heating pizza for Eli at supper time and tried to open the microwave mid way through. It wouldn't open and it took the two of us a minute or two to figure out there is an automatic lock button that needed to be pressed to release the door. Unlike the old microwave this one senses when the food is hot and beeps so she thought her time was up.

Today, I'll keep working on the gnome (shoes/arms/legs), watch some curling*, and do some research on my next trip. Oh, that reminds me, I haven't shared this information yet. I'm flying out to Phoenix on New Year's Eve, to spend two months in Yuma...hooray, away from the snow and cold! 

This has been in the works since last February when I reached out to the landlord about the availability of a one bedroom park model in a small community within the city of Yuma. Long story short, the price was ideal, the property was available as last winter's tenants didn't want to plan that far ahead. I did! 

Friends of mine are in Apache Junction, and will pick me up at the airport and deliver me to Yuma on January 1.  When I advised my landlord, she offered the hide-a-bed in the unit to my friends for a couple of days and when asked, declined any additional payment. I think I've hit the jackpot! 

For my readers, I'm sure you'll all be happy to know you'll soon not hear whining about how cold it is, or how much snow I've had to shovel. It's my first time spending this much time away from home in one stretch - I did a month back in 2015 on Vancouver Island (practicing for retirement - though that didn't happen as I expected). If all goes well, I may make this an annual experience, at least for a few years.

Have a great week ahead everyone! 

*Jackie, in case Harvey isn't aware, the RBC Dominion Western Showdown is being aired on You-tube. There are some local Saskatchewan teams as well as some of the big names. Gushue got beat by a lesser known team out of British Columbia on Friday!